johnston



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. M. JOHNSTON.

PLANTBR AND SBEDER. No. 347,614.

Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

ga wewtoz ($13 Hoznm /s 3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. M. JOHNSTON. PLANTER AND SEEDERQ N0. 34?;614. Patented Aug, 1'7, 1886.

(No Mlidel. a Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. M. JOHNSTON. PLANTER AND SEEDBR.

No. 347,614. Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

% wggoawto'c Qg 1 eutoznu s UNITED STATES PATENT tries- JAMES M. JOHNSTON, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NELSON G. BAUGHMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

PLAN'IY'ER AND SEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 34:7,614, dated August 17, 1886.

Application filed October 29, 1885. Serial No. 181,312.

T at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES M. JOHNSTON, of York, in the county of York, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Planters and Seeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part of this specification,

and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention appertains to certain improvements in walking-planters, so called;

7 and it consists in the several novel features of I 5' construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine with covers of 2c hoppers removed, and Fig. 2 isalongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the main frame. Fig. 4 is an end view of the seed-hopper, showing the manner of detachably securing the same upon the frame. Figs. 5 and 6 represent different forms of seed plates. Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating the mode of connecting the covering-blades and handles to the side bar ofthe main frame. Fig. Sis a detail illustrating the cut-offer valve for regu- 0 lating the feed. Fig. 9 is a rear view of the seedhopper.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The main frame of the machine is composed,

5 essentially, of the two side bars, A, the cross piece or bar A, whose angle ends a embrace and are secured to the rear ends of the side bars, and the head or casting A interposed between and bolted to the forward extension, a, of the side bars. The forward extension, (6, and body or rear portion of each of said side bars are arranged in parallel planes and connected by the intermediate bent portion fornr iug a transverse shoulder, a". y

The side bars, A, constructed as described,

and united by the cross-piece A at one end,

and the head or casting A at the other end,

form a light and strong frame, as shown in Fig. 3, with the open rectangular body corn- 5o posed of the side bars, cross-piece, and trans- (No model.)

verse shoulders or bent portions of the side bars, and the narrower extension or neck consisting of the parallel ends of the side bars and the head or casting secured thereto. This frame, to which the various operating mechanisms and devices are attached, is mounted upon two sets or pairs of wheels, 13 B, of which the rear pair, 13, are mounted upon an axle, I), supported in boxes or bearings attached to the side pieces, A, with the wheels located be tween the said side pieces and within the rectangular body of the frame, while the wheels of the frontpair, B, located one on each side of the narrower extension or neck of the main frame, are mounted upon an axle, b, supported in bearings b on a cross-head or bracket, 13*. This bracket or cross head 13 is formed or provided with a vertical extension or bar, B", passing loosely through a slot or guideway in the head or casting A, and provided with a series of holes, I), for the reception of a pin or belt, 1)", whereby the front pair of wheels may be adjusted vertically with respect to the main frame, to determine the depth of the furrow, as will presently be explained. The wheels of each pair on the same side of the machine are arranged in substantially the same plane, so that the frame will be equally supported at each end and can be vibrated upon either axle to raise or lower the front or rear end without the necessity of balancing it against lateral movement, as would be the case were a single wheel employed to support either end, unless such wheel should have a tread substantially equal to the tread of the two wheels combined.

The bearings of the rear pair of wheels are so arranged relative to the cross-piece A of the main frame as that the lower edge of the latter shall serve as a scraper or clearer to remove adhering dirt, &e., from the treads or faces of the wheels, and the same operation is performed upon the front pair of wheels by the bent portions or shoulders at on the side bars, A.

The furrow-opener 0r plow E is secured to the ends of a fureated standard or bracket, E, whose two ends are fastened to the side bars, A, while a brace rod, E", pivotally secured to the head or casting A, and adj ustably fastened to the said standard E, serves to determine the angle of the latter and to maintain it in adwe justed position. As will be observed, the draft on the furrow-opener or plow is thus transmitted directly from the head or casting A, to which the horse or other motor is attached, through the brace as well as the side bars, thereby diminishing the strain upon the latter.

The handle-bars F, united by. cross-barsff, are connected to the frame in the following manner: Rising from each of the rear corners of the main frame is a vertical post or bar, f, to whose upper extremity is bolted one of the handle-bars. The forward ends of thehandlebars rest against the side bars, A, and are held in position thereon by cap-platef and boltf", the latter passing through the cap-plate, the end of handle-bar, and an elongated opening in the side bar, A, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7. Upon the inner end of this boltf is mounted a channel-plate or saddle, F whose llangesf rest upon the upper and loweredges, respectively, of the side bars. The flanges f of the saddle F" are cut away at top and bottom to admit the slotted end g of the coveringblade G, all as shown more clearly in Fig. 7.

As thus constructed, arranged, and applied, the end of the handle-bar and the shank of the covering blade are both attached and firmly secured to the side bar of the main frame and in such a manner that both maybe adjusted longitudinally ofthe side bar, and the covering-blade vertically thereof, the covering-blade will be rigidly supported by the saddle, and the handle-bar can be readily vibrated about the boltf, to change the angle of the former, for which purpose the length of the vertical bars f or their points of attachment to the side bars is to be changed, as by passing the bolts securing the said vertical bars to the main frame through any one of several holes, f, Fig. 2.

The seed and fertilizer distributing mechanisms II and I (one or both, as preferred) are located intermediate the two pairs of supporting-wheelsand above the furrow-opener E. The fertilizer-distributer I, preferably such as described in the patent granted to Leander Becker, No. 303,973, August 26, 1884. consists, essentially, of a box or hopper, l, supported above the side rails, A,upon brack cls l. Beneath an opening in the bottom of the hopper I, and pivotally supported upon a bracket, 1', is a rotary distributing and feeding plate, 1, upon which the fertilizer rests, and is carried through the feed opening or gate and deposited into the conveyer I". This conveyor is preferably formed with two spouts or delivery portions, iz'", the former, i, projectingin rear and the latter in front of the furrowopener. An adjustable valve, 1 located at the point of separation, serves to direct the material as it is delivered from the feeding mechanism into one or the other or simultaneously into both eonveyers, whereby the fertilizer may be deposited upon the ground in advance of the furrow-opener, or in the furrow with the grain, or partly within and partly without the furrow, as desired. The plate I" is driven from a shaft, 1, upon whose end is secured a sprocket-wheel, 1

The hopper H of the seeder is preferably located upon bracket-s h, applied to the side bars, A, in rear of the fertilizer-distributer. The bottom plate. 11 of this hopper, upon which is formed the central bearing, h, and flange h, for the seed-plate H, is bolted fast to the brackets h, while the sides and ends of the hopper, being made separate from the bottom plate, are detaehably secured in position upon said plate by links h, or other suitable fastenings, applied to the brackets h on the frame of the machine.

The seed-plate H, provided with the conical center it and laterally-projecting or horizontal flange h, fits within the bearing 71?, and is supported upon a pivot, h, in the bearing h on the bottom plate, II", and said plate 11 is driven by a shaft, J, whose angular end is received within a corresponding-shapcd socket, The rear side of the hopper It is bent or curved inward at or near the center, its lower edge overlapping the flange ll" of the bottom plate and the horizontal llangelf of the seed-plate II".

To the sides of the hopper is secured a bridge-piece, J, provided with a bearing to receive the upper end of the shaft .T, upon which latter is secured a bevel-pinion, 7", meshing with a pinion, 7' on a transverse shaft, J, mounted in hearings on the end pieces of hopper. Upon the end of the shaft J are socured one or more sprocket-wheels, K, to facilitate the change in speed by shifting the driving-chain from one to the other.

30th the seeder and fertilizer-distributing mechanisms are driven from the axle of the forward pair of supporting-whecls in the following manner: Upon the front axle is loosely mounted a sprocket-wheel, K, carrying the half-clutch 7., and to the said axle is secured the other section or half, 7a, of said clutch. An endless chain, L, passes around the sprocketwhecl K, under the sprocket-wheel l? of the fertilizer-distributer I, around the sprocketwheel K of the seeder If, and over an idler, L, back to the wheel K, whereby both the seeder and fertilizer-distrihuting mechanisms are driven by asiugle chain and at a speed proportional to the size of the sprocketwheels.

It will be observed that all the driving mechanism of the seeder is mounted and sustained upon the sides and ends of the hopper, and can be removed with the latter by simply detaching the links or other fastening device, and when so removed the seed-plate resting upon the bottom of the hopper is exposed, and can be inspected, removed,or replaced at pleasure, without disconnecting the other parts.

The seedplates designed for use in this machine are interchangeable, and each preferably provided with two or more series of holes or pockets, M, (see Figs. 5 and (5,) of a size and shape suited to the material to be fed, and as the plates are rotated within the hopper and the pockets are filled they pass under a cut-off of any approved construction, and, being carried under the rear wall of the hopper, the seeds drop through an opening, at, in the bottom plate into a tube or conveyer, M, and are deposited in the furrow.

Beneath the bottom plate of the hopper, and projecting within the opening in, therein, is an adjustable plate, N, arranged to slide in said opening toward and from the center of the seed-plate. to regulate the discharge from the seed-plate, as by moving said plate so as to cover the discharge-opening beneath one or more of the concentric rows of pockets the rate or amount of material deposited at each revolution of the feed-plate can be varied. The movable member or section of the clutch is held normally in engagement with the section attached to the driving-axle by a spring, 0, and in order that the operator may at any time and while the machine is in motion disconnect the clutch when occupying his usual position in rear of the machine a shifting-lever, O, pivoted, as at 0, and engaging the movable member of the clutch, is carried back beneath the two hoppers and provided on its rear end with a handle projected between the handlebars, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The shifting-lever 0, preferably of metal, is carried above the crossbar f and beneath the cross-bar f, or vice versa, in order that it may be deflected or spru ng'sufiicientl yto cause it to engage and be held within a notch, 0", in the bar f, and thus, by holding the lever, retain the clutch. open. When it is desired to again start the feeding mechanisms, the handlever is forced out of the notch 0", and the spring 0 at once closes the clutch.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In combination with the open rectangular frame composed of the bent or shouldered side bars, the crosspiece, and head or casting, the two pair of supporting-wheels, of which the rear pair are located within the frame with their rims or tires in proximity to the crosspiece, and the front pair arranged outside the forward extension of the frame with their rims or tires in proximity to the shoulders or bent portions of the side bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the head or casting secured between the forward ends of the side bars, the cross-head provided with bearings for the front axle, and a vertical extension adjustably secured within a guide or socket in the said head or casting, substantiallyas described.

3. In combination with the head or casting secured between the forward ends of the bent side bars, the vertically-adjustable crosshead carrying the axle of the front wheels, the latter located on opposite sides of the front This plate N operates as a gate extension of the main frame, and the bracerod attached to said head or cast-ing between the side bars and extending back to the standside bars, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the side bar of the main frame and the forward end of the handlebar, the saddle with slotted flanges engaging the edges to the side bar, the covering-blade, and the bolt for clamping said parts in posi tion, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the hopper-bottom secured to the main frame and the rotary seedplate mounted thereon, the driving mechanism support-ed upon the removable box and detachably applied to the seed-plate, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the fixed bottom plate and the perforated seed-plate mounted thereon, the driving mechanism supported upon the sides or walls of the hopper, and the links for detachably securing the hopper in position upon the bottom plate and to the main frame, substantially as described.

8. In combination with the fixed bottom plate having the central bearing and annular flange, the perforated seed plate pivotally supported upon said bearing, the vertical shaft detachably applied to said seed-plate and supported at the top in the cross piece secured to the hopper, the driving shaft mounted in bearings upon the hopper, and the detachable fastenings for securing the hop per in position upon the bottom plate, substantially as described.

9. In combination with the fixed bottom plate provided with the annular flange and central bearing, as described, the perforated seed-plate mounted upon said bearing, and the removablehopper carrying the driving mechanism and provided with the curved plate or side overlapping the seed-plate, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the rotary seedplate provided with two or more openings or pockets arranged at different distances from the center, and adapted, when the plate is rotated, to move in concentric circles, as described, the bottom plate provided with the discharge-opening and the adjustable gate located in said opening.

11. The combination, with the rotary seedplate' provided with two or more sets of openings or pockets arranged at different distances from the center, and adapted, when the plate is rotated, to move in concentric circles, as described, of the bottom plate provided with the discharge-opening and the adjustable gate located in said opening, substantially as del back beneath the hoppers and passing over scribed. l the cross-hm f":1ndbeneath the notched cross 12. In a planter such as described. and in bar f, as and for the purpose set forth.

combination with the clutch located upon the JAMES M. JOIINSTOX. 5 axle of the front wheels, from which motion is Witnesses:

communicated to the feeding mechanisms on M. H. II'OL'JZAPPLE,

the main frame, the shifting-lever extended 1 J. L. M1 LLER. 

